Melatonin, a pineal secretory product, has been shown to exert a direct anti-proliferative action on the androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer cell line through hitherto undefined mechanisms. In this communication, expression of mt1 melatonin receptor protein in human prostate cancer tissues and LNCaP cells was demonstrated by immunohisto(cyto)chemistry and western blotting, hence supporting the use of LNCaP cell line as a model for the study of melatonin signaling in prostate cancer cell growth. Using 3H-thymidine incorporation assay, LNCaP cell proliferation was inhibited by 2-iodomelatonin, a high-affinity melatonin receptor agonist. Furthermore, melatonin inhibited 3H-thymidine incorporation into LNCaP cells and attenuated 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or 17beta-estradiol (E2)-induced stimulation of LNCaP cell proliferation at physiological and pharmacological concentrations. Similar concentration-dependent inhibition of sex steroid-induced stimulation of thymidine incorporation into LNCaP cells by 2-iodomelatonin was also observed. Interestingly, attenuation of sex steroid-stimulated calcium influx into LNCaP cells by pharmacological concentrations of melatonin was recorded, whereas 2-iodomelatonin had no effect on cytosolic calcium changes induced by sex steroids. In addition, proliferative and cytosolic calcium changes were associated with inhibition of total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) production by LNCaP cells at high physiological and pharmacological concentrations of melatonin. Our data suggest that activated mt1 receptor and attenuated sex steroid-induced calcium influx are two important mechanisms mediating the direct anti-proliferative action of melatonin on androgen-responsive human prostate cancer cells.

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The mammalian epididymis plays an important role in sperm maturation, an important process of male reproduction. Specific high-affinity 2-[¹²⁵I]iodomelatonin binding sites, satisfying the pharmacokinetic properties of specific receptors, have been found in the rat corpus epididymis, suggesting a direct melatonin action on epididymal physiology. Subsequent molecular and cell biology studies have identified these 2-[¹²⁵I]iodomelatonin binding sites to be mt₁ (MEL_1A) and MT₂ (MEL_1B) melatonin receptor subtypes. Changes in the binding characteristics of these receptors in the rat corpus epididymis in response to castration and steroid hormones like testosterone and hydrocortisone indicated that these membrane melatonin receptors are biologically functional receptors, whose activities are differentially regulated by testosterone and hydrocortisone. These melatonin receptors are coupled to pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G_i protein and probably participate in androgenic and adrenergic regulation of rat corpus epididymal epithelial cell functions. Furthermore, rat corpus epididymal epithelial cell proliferation was stimulated by melatonin, whose action was dependent on the concentration and duration of exposure to the hormone. Interestingly, an MT₂ receptor ligand (4-phenyl-2-propionamidotetraline, 4-P-PDOT) induced a stimulatory effect on epididymal epithelial cell proliferation similar to that produced by melatonin. In contrast, a nuclear melatonin receptor agonist (1-[3-allyl-4-oxo-thiazolidine-2-ylidene]-4-methyl-thiosemi-carbazone, CGP52608) and 8-bromo-cAMP inhibited epididymal epithelial cell proliferation. Taken together, our data lead us to postulate that one of the possible physiological functions of melatonin on the rat epididymis is the stimulation of mt₁ and MT₂ melatonin receptors resulting in the inhibition of cAMP signaling and an increase in epithelial cell proliferation.

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